To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will introduce legislation to prohibit any information collected for tax purposes being disclosed to a community charge officer; and if he will make a statement.

With a few statutory exceptions which would not be relevant in this instance, the Inland Revenue is not permitted, under the law as it now stands, to disclose to a third party information about a taxpayer's affairs without his express consent. The present rule would apply in the case of a community charge officer. My right hon. Friend has no plans to introduce legislation to change this position.